"We've simply outgrown it. We have a 12-foot path in front of the engine, with the space for the ladder. It's straight up against the back of the building," explained Lieutenant Chuck Paffie.

While the project to demolish the current station and build a new one is not a new idea, it is still the very beginning of what could be a long and costly process.

Preliminary schematics of a single-story building -- including bays for six trucks, offices, bunks and other essential rooms -- is estimated at nearly $4.4 million. That price tag includes the demolition of the current Station Four, as well as the new construction.

With 30 to 40 firefighters working out of Station Four on a regular basis, that number grows exponentially during emergencies.

"During the flood, the other stations were isolated. Guys were sleeping in chairs, there wasn't enough room to even get them out of the flow of things. Everyone ends up here," said Paffie of the station.

Fire officials said they hope to build for the future -- future staff, future engines and equipment and future emergencies.

"We want to be prepared," Paffie said. "This needs to serve the public for the next 50-plus years."

The tentative timeline would put groundbreaking in 2015 and completion in 2016.

The project will require public approval. A date for a future levy has not been determined.